Apple Music subscribers woke up on July 17, 2026 to find their streaming bills going up. Apple confirmed the price increase and the reason behind the change in a statement: “As a result of rising licensing costs, Apple Music is increasing its subscription price beginning today.” The new pricing took effect on July 17, marking the first increase to Apple Music’s prices since October 2022.
The move is only the second global pricing increase for Apple Music since the service’s introduction in June 2015, and its collection now includes more than 150 million songs. Four years between hikes is a rather long period in the streaming industry, during which record labels and music publishers have consistently negotiated increasing royalty rates that streaming services must absorb or pass on to subscribers.
“Apple raises prices for Apple Music and Apple One subscriptions. New prices effective July 17, 2026. Individual plan: $11.99 (up from $10.99). Family plan: $19.99 (up from $16.99). Student plan: $6.99 (up from $5.99). Apple One Family: $27.95 and Premier: $39.95.”~9to5Mac
The New Pricing: Every Plan, Every Market
Here are the new monthly prices for Apple Music and Apple One as of July 17: Apple Music Individual: $11.99 (up from $10.99), Family: $19.99 (up from $16.99), Student: $6.99 (up from $5.99). Apple One Individual: $19.95 (unchanged), Family: $27.95 (up from $25.95), Premier: $39.95 (up from $37.95).
In the UK, the Individual plan rose to £11.99 from £10.99 and the Family plan to £19.99 from £16.99. In Europe, the Individual plan rose to €11.99 from €10.99, the Family plan to €19.99 from €16.99 and the Student plan to €6.99.
The student plan, now $6.99, offers enhanced value by crucially including free access to Apple TV, a service typically priced at $12.99. One other thing: the price of the basic level of Apple One, the bundled service, has not gone up, though higher-level tiers have. That means it remains at $19.95 a month for Apple TV, Apple Music, Apple Arcade and iCloud+ with 50GB storage.
Apple says existing subscribers are typically moved to the new rates at the next billing cycle after being notified, while new subscribers pay the higher price right away.
“Apple Music hikes subscription prices — first rate increases for the service since fall 2022. US Individual plan rises from $10.99 to $11.99/month, Family from $16.99 to $19.99, Student from $5.99 to $6.99. Apple cites higher music licensing costs.”~Variety
The Real Reason: Record Labels Pushing Royalty Rates Higher
Apple’s price hike reflects a broader trend of rising licensing costs across the streaming industry. Record labels and publishers have increased royalty rates, and streaming services have responded with higher subscription fees or additional tiers.
The pressure from rights holders has been building for years. Major record labels – Universal Music Group, Sony Music, and Warner Music have been pushing for higher per-stream royalty rates in their licensing negotiations with streaming platforms globally. Music publishers representing songwriters have been equally vocal. As these rates have climbed through successive negotiation cycles, the cost base for platforms like Apple Music has increased structurally and eventually that cost lands on the subscriber.
Apple cited the same rationale when it raised rates in 2022, noting at the time that higher licensing costs would translate into increased payouts for artists and songwriters. By framing the price increase as a pass-through of licensing costs, Apple is simultaneously deflecting criticism and positioning the hike as beneficial to the music creator community, a message that resonates in an era when artist compensation from streaming remains a contested topic.
“Apple Music increases subscription prices globally — effective July 17, 2026. Apple says: ‘As a result of rising licensing costs, Apple Music is increasing its subscription price beginning today.’ Individual plan now $11.99, Family $19.99, Student $6.99 in the US.”~Music Business Worldwide
Still Cheaper Than Spotify But The Gap Is Narrowing:
The price increases for Apple Music come after Spotify announced its own round of price hikes earlier this year, which Apple poked fun at on social media. Even with today’s price hikes, though, Apple Music remains cheaper than Spotify.
Rival Spotify implemented a price rise in the US and other markets in early 2026, and its Individual plan now costs $12.99 per month there, up from $11.99. Spotify’s February round also lifted its US Family plan to $21.99 and its Student plan to $6.99. Apple Music’s new $11.99 US Individual price sits $1 below Spotify’s.
The $1 gap between Apple Music’s individual plan and Spotify’s is the narrowest it has been since both services began competing head to head. For consumers deciding between the two, the pricing differential is no longer the decisive factor it once was especially given that Apple Music offers lossless audio and Dolby Atmos spatial audio at no additional charge, features that Spotify charges extra for on its premium tier.
Apple’s Q2 2026 earnings delivered $111.2 billion in revenue and $29.6 billion in net profit, fueled by record-breaking Services revenue of $31 billion. With services now Apple’s highest-margin segment, the price increase is both a response to rising costs and a continuation of the company’s strategy to grow subscription revenue as hardware growth moderates.
